This weekend, Western North Carolina candidates and elected officials reacted to historic upheaval in the 2024 general election as President Biden dropped out, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Biden announced on Sunday he will not continue running for reelection in 2024.
North Carolina Governor Democrat Roy Cooper thanked President Biden and strongly endorsed Harris pointing to their history together.
Kamala Harris should be the next President. I’ve known @VP going back to our days as AGs, and she has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country thoughtfully and with integrity. I look forward to campaigning for her as we work to win NC up and down the ticket.
— Roy Cooper (@RoyCooperNC) July 21, 2024
Cooper has been rumored to be on the shortlist for Vice President but the decision still hinges on the decision for Democratic candidate at the National Convention in Chicago on August 19 to August 22.
Cooper said it was too early to discuss the VP slot on MSNBC this morning, WUNC reported.
"I appreciate people talking about me, but I think the focus right now needs to be on her this week," he said on television. "She needs to concentrate on making sure that she secures this nomination and gets the campaign ready to go."
Harris just visited Fayetteville on Thursday for her seventh trip to the Tar Heel State this year.
“The question we face is what kind of country do we want to live in. Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law? Or a country of chaos, fear and hate? We each have the power to answer this question,” Harris said at the events, according to a press release.
In Western North Carolina, candidates and elected officials took to social media along party lines.
Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents North Carolina District 11, said on X the move paves the way for former President Donald Trump’s victory.
Joe Biden hasn’t really been in this presidential race since Donald Trump announced, and I’m not surprised to now hear him make it official. Americans are suffering under the inflation Biden has created, his open border policies, and his overreaching regulatory schemes. Kamala…
— Congressman Chuck Edwards (@RepChuckEdwards) July 21, 2024
Edwards’ challenger, N.C. Rep. Caleb Rudow, a Democrat, posted on Facebook to thank Biden and endorse Harris.
State Sen. Julie Mayfield reposted on her campaign Facebook page the North Carolina Democratic Party’s statement endorsing Harris.
“This November it'll be a prosecutor going up against a felon. It will be experience going up against extremism. We know that with the infrastructure and the organizing powerhouse we have spent years building, North Carolina will send VP Harris to the Oval Office,” Mayfield wrote.
DNC Delegate Garyson Barnettee of Western North Carolina added on X that the Convention expressed "strong support" for Cooper as the VP pick.
The Republican National Convention ended last week in Milwaukee with Trump choosing Ohio’s Republican U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate. Vance is well-known nationwide for his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” which drew derision from many in Appalachia for its stereotypical portrayal of the region.
This weekend, Vance called for Biden to step down from the presidency as well.
If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?
— JD Vance (@JDVance1) July 21, 2024
Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief.
There is no middle ground.
Trump’s acceptance of the GOP nomination came just days after he was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. The shooting remains under investigation.
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican who represents Rutherford and Cleveland counties, asked for prayer after news of gunfire at the Trump rally.
On Sunday, Moore was quick to link Biden’s announcement to the need for changes on the state Board of Elections.
“This blatant attempt by Democrats on the NCSBE to bend the rules to insulate their own party’s nominee perfectly illustrates the need for a more balanced Board of Elections,” Moore wrote.
This blatant attempt by Democrats on the NCSBE to bend the rules to insulate their own party’s nominee perfectly illustrates the need for a more balanced Board of Elections. #ncpol #ncsbe pic.twitter.com/mkVp5l0l6w
— Speaker Tim Moore (@NCHouseSpeaker) July 16, 2024
At the end of last week, The Justice for All Party, whose candidate is Cornel West, signaled plans to sue the North Carolina Board of Elections over denying West a spot on November's ballot, WFAE reported.
County boards of elections will begin mailing general election absentee ballots to eligible voters on September 6.
